Frank Schaeffer (not to be confused with his father Francis) titled his memoir Crazy for God with the helpful subtitle How I Grew Up as One of the Elect, Helped Found the Religious Right, and Lived to Take All (or Almost All) of It Back.
His writing is engaging and thought-provoking, especially for myself as a Christian father and pastor. His father, Francis Schaeffer, was a much-beloved Christian thinker who utilised contemporary music, art history, and philosophy to answer the questions of his day. He was truly countercultural in the way he wrote and lived.
I began studying Francis Schaeffer for my Masters dissertation with Moorlands College. As a former atheist discovering Christianity, I found Francis’ early writings so helpful, but was surprised by his later work. It was jarring to see the person-centred preacher become a figure in the culture wars and a member of the Religious Right. Through my studies, I wanted to discover the reasons for this change and what lessons I could learn for myself and my church context today. I hoped his son Frank could help me understand and so I requested an interview and he kindly responded.
